House of Quinn collaborates with five makers to show at London Design Fair 2018. Working with Ensemble to create a considered interior environment and curated lifestyle experience with the show space of Truman's Brewery London.

we sat down the Ensemble team for a conversation about everything to do with House of Quinn and my practice. How our quilts came to be and what making means to House of Quinn.

You can find the full interview and also find out about the other makers taking part in the show here.

"A place in which making is only confined by its idea but not by its outcome. Everything I do has a connection or inspiration running through it, but it could sit in your home, wardrobe, house, living space".

House of Quinn takes on London Design Fair 2018, throwing in an offering of contemporary statement quilts into the design arena.

A moment in London's Design calendar and a destination for innovation within interior and surface design. London Design Fair takes over every inch of Truman's Brewery exhibition space in the heart of London's East End.

LDF is focused on makers practise, techniques and tradition. Even with innovation you will find inspiration in traditional making. House of Quinn provides a tactile moment amongst concrete, plastic and glass. Contemporary quilting and statement soft furnishings go hand in hand at House of Quinn. Offering a very different approach to traditional quilt making.

The world of quilting comes with a preconceived idea, even when I tell people what I do they make a politely disguised but confused face until I show them a few photos. Then they are onboard.

My practice has evolved over the last few years, and my love for quilt making happened from questioning what I was going to do with the off-cuts and excess waist from when I used to make clothing. I am a secret hoarder (not so secret to my friend and housemate) who cannot bear to part with something if I know it is useful or will one day have a purpose.

I know, we all preach clean lines, open plan living and simplicity. All of which I love, but when you are a maker there is always at least one room in a makers space that is dedicated to collecting and hording all the wonders of that maker's world.

Textiles have always been a big part of my working practice, as well as connecting with objects. Items that you collect to tell your personal story or remember someone else's. Quilts are the quintessential functional yet emotionally charged, created to tell stories which come from all over the world.

With that built-in providence and the time it takes to tell each story in 'quilt' form, quilts have become the canvas for House of Quinn.

Telling stories with textiles and creating functional yet beautiful, statement moments for house and home is what we will be bringing to this years London Design Fair. Showcasing a traditional approach with a contemporary outcome and turning quilts from dowdy to desirable in a contemporary design setting.

House of Quinn is working with local artists and makers in a new series showcasing curated collections of interior objects and artwork. Creating a space to explore themes and work with common connections. Each maker's work is featured in the HoQ online concept store.

Simple luxuries for the everyday.

The first in our series of makers is Luke Beachey. With a beautiful, honest and captivating application of line, form and shape. Luke spans the world of artist and maker. We worked with Luke to feature a collection of his prints and original artworks that capture the folklore heritage personal to him and that also resonates within the HoC collections.

I went to visit Luke at his home in Brighton to have a catch-up and cup of tea! Luke told me more about his inspirations, motives and how he likes to work, while we were surrounded by beautiful objects and items that Luke has collected or created. A very personal display of artefacts and objects that define Luke as a person and maker. I loved spending more time with Luke working on this project so I hope you enjoy it just as much.

Where are you from?

"I’m originally from Cardiff in Wales but I spent a lot of my youth growing up in Carmarthenshire in west Wales. It was very rural, we lived in an area surrounded by farmland. I moved away from Wales to study and have been based in Brighton now for nine years. Always close to the sea."

Making by hand is an integral part of the House of Quinn studio practice. How important is it to you and what does it mean to you to be able to create?

"Oh, it’s extremely important. Sometimes artwork comes to be through practical trial and error while much other output comes to be through ritual and magic intention."

What are the main themes in your work?

"Queer identity, my own personal gender identity, welsh folklore, femininity, ritual and process. Mental health and self-care.Many of those themes have developed over the past ten years. My own gender identity and my relationship with folk art are continuing to evolve. I hope it will be explored further in my practice"

What is your one tip for anyone who is a creative person/maker/artist?

"Get a thick skin. Take on criticism when you ask for it. Keep those who give you a constructive critical opinion close. Don’t give up hope when people and galleries don’t take notice. Don’t ever feel like you are embarrassed to ask for help. Most of all, don’t take yourself to seriously! It’s meant to be fun after all."

What’s next when it comes to your work. What are your plans and aspirations? What can we look forward to seeing?

"I’m looking at illustrating a book of short stories that I’ve written! New shows this year and hopefully some collaborations in the works."

Luke's work resonates on so many levels for me, and I hope that you will find Luke's words inspiring and the work as enchanting as I do. We have a curated collection of Lukes prints featured in the House of Quinn concept store as well as some original artwork ready to be sent to you.

We will be sharing some more stories from new makers joining the House of Quinn makers series over the course of the year. You can keep up to date by joining our mailing list or following House of Quinn on social via the links below.

Did your mother tell you that if you held a buttercup under your chin you liked butter?

Seems so silly doesn't it, but it provides fond memories of the spring fields of Cornwall, and testing your love of butter with friends.

A love of plants has been deeply engrained in me from childhood. They provide triggers to memories of my younger days, people and events.

There is nothing better than introducing plants into your day to day life. For me, it is not easy without a garden, but I will fill any space with a plant if I can.

Now that spring has finally sprung. I popped out to pick up some colourfull accents for the small space outside our flat.

Nearly everyone has seen or know the Ranunclus. I mentioned the buttercup before because this vivid yellow, small but perfect flower is a member of the Ranunclus family.

As you can see, i went for the full, blousy and bold versions for my spring update. One of my favourite blooms of all time. (The other top two favorites of mine are Peonies and Anemonies, incase anyone wants to buy me flowers!)

There were so many options at the garden centre. like an excited child with my gran at the Royal Cornwall horticulture tent at a very young age, it reminded me of her. telling me all the plant names and picking something out to take home and look after like a pet.

In the end I picked the brightest yellow and beautiful variagated pink. But I want them all.

What have you been planting this spring, to brighten up where ever you live?

House of Quinn joins forces with East of Home, a new boutique located in the heart of Baths artisan quarter.

East of Home's founder Felicity has set up shop to showcase new designers and products that represent the ethos of East of Home.

Searching, sourcing, creating and finding has been a way of life for as long as I can remember, often culminating in the question: "Where did you find that?"

East of Home is the embodiment of a long-held dream and desire to create a space where I can sell pieces that hold resonance, have meaning; keepsakes that last forever, the polar opposite of fast fashion.

East of Home can't be summarised by tag lines, it's no one thing; it's a collaboration between artisans, crafters and designers.

House of Quinn was invited to take part in The New Craftsmen Summer Show. Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, which is taking place at the Mayfair Showroom from the 21st July to the 9th August.

It is open to everyone and showcases a selection of 17 makers across many different mediums.

The Launch of the show was an amazing event, with cocktails supplied by Our London and served in the conservatory. Everyone that attended were in high spirita and looked incredible. I had the opportunity to speak to some of the other makers at the show, talking about there amazing work and inspuration. Local Maker Tom of Holland also based in Brighton displayed his work, looking at mending old items and giving them a new life.

For the show I created a series of six cushions, inspired by the Cornish landscape and stone circles. Entitled 'Trigva' meaning abode or home in Cornish. Each cushion is hand quilted and appliquéd with a hand binding and hand painted textiles.

Inspired by Cornish landscapes, these cushions have been created using traditional quilting techniques with renewed or hand-painted textiles sourced from British and European textiles mills. House of Quinn, based in Sussex, prides itself on small-batch manufacture and sustainable approaches to design and making.

If you are in London and want to pop into the show. You can find them easily at the end of oxford street, going towards Marble arch - Click here for a map.

because I have been getting knees deep in quilts and quilting here in the studio. I thought that it would be nice to delve into the quilting world and find out what was going on in the larger quilting community.

When I was much younger, I worked in an amazing fabric shop in the heart of Cornwall, each week the local quilters would come in and get their supplies. Riffling through the fabrics and spending hours strolling along the vast shelves of quilting cotton that we had at the time. It was a dream job as a young person, making their way into the creative industry *

Inspired by the world of quilting I entered The Festival of Quilts 2017, for the first time! Exciting!

Hosted at the NEC in Birmingham, The Festival of Quilts is home to hundreds of quilters and quilt related makers from all over the world. From the very traditional to the new guard of the quilting world. I entered in the hope to put forward my point of view and showcase my quits in an international setting.

This year I am sending in two quilts for the show and I am really excited to let you all know how it goes and what happens in the coming months.

Here is a little video of me prepairing my entries for the show.

* if you want to find out more about the fabric store it is Truro Fabrics and you can find them here at www.Trurofabrics.com

As a maker or craftsmen (person) the world of contemporary craft is a diverse and wonderful industry. Traditionally spanning wood, metal, fibre, glass and ceramic the nu maker in the modern age is looking to diversify and broaden the horizons of contemporary crafts.

A melting pot of traditional techniques and new wave approaches to making. We are discovering a new world for the crafts industry, a world away from chintz bunting.

The hand made provides quality, luxury and an appeal that only handmade can provide. This mixed with the new vanguard of makers means that finding individuality in your surrounding and the objects you choose to live your life around, and with have become once again an interesting proposition for the homemakers amongst us.

We have put together a short list of the best in contemporary craft events, showcasing the world of contemporary craft and great design.

DIY Art Market

"DIYAM started as a pop-up art fair the summer of 2014 in Hackney, London, and has quickly grown to a bi-monthly event, at multiple venues, that has to date, showcased over 500 artists, and independent publishers.

DIYAM functions as an affordable space for a diverse group of artists, designers, collectives, and publishers, to exhibit/sell their artwork, engage with the public, and share experiences, opportunities."

London Craft Week

"London Craft Week takes up residence in the capital early each May. This annual event showcases the very best international and British creativity and craftsmanship through a ‘beyond luxury’ journey-of-discovery."

Our house | A home for All - Selfridges

"Drawing on the creative spirit of The New Craftsmen and its makers, ‘A Home For All’ is themed around a series of domestic rituals – Rest, Gather, Play and Cleanse.

Whether making sourdough bread around the table or slumbering in haystacks – craft, atmosphere and materiality combine with physical activity, encouraging a sense of community, discussion, play and imagination."

Last month I went on a little trip to visit on of my favourite people in what is becoming one of my favourite cities, Berlin.

For a long time now, Berlin has become an artist and creative get away with many people making the move and getting stuck into the Berlin way of life.

Every time I visit I understand more and more the magnetic attraction to the city. It pulls you in and you feel like you can be yourself and experience and absorb everything about it, from amazing nightlife to food and the people. Small independent business's really making a name for themselves. It is an exciting place to be. Most have probably visited, but if not I really recommend going, getting off the beaten path and enjoying the less touristy side of the city.

One of my recommendations and new favourite Berlin hotspots is Hallesches Haus. Tucked away in Tempelhofer, Hallesches Haus General Store & lunchroom is buzzing. My friend Jen introduced me to this place on my visit and it was perfect.

A beautiful open space, highlighted with a plethora of botanical accents against a tranquil, muted colour pallet, Hallesches Haus offers one of the best brunch and lunch menus in the city. Simple but beautifully tasty food provided by local purveyors. Seasonal and Organic is the main agenda here and it is done so well. Independent coffee provided by Blaue Bohnen Coffee Roasters as well as a selection of light bites, pastries and drinks.

But that is not all, It keeps on giving. Host to not only the lunchrooms, Hallesches Haus is also a general store. A trend which originates from the costs of California, they provide a one-stop shop for your home, clothing and beauty needs. A curated selection of products that add that extra special note to your day, that little treat that sometimes just makes life a little easier and puts a smile on your face.

We are proud to be able to say that as of January we now have HoQ Quilts stocked at Tidy Street General Store in Brighton.

You can find the amazing shop at 102 Gloucester Road, Brighton, BN1 4AP.

Opened in 2016, Florence Dixon has put together an exciting new shop with an emphasis on modern craft. A curated selection of homewares, clothing and accessories. Tidy Street General store is a great destination for those looking for something unique, well made and individual for either your home or to wear.

Well, we are getting knees deep into January 2017 now and we kicked off the year to a good start.

As you know. House of Quinn has been slowly but surely expanding. We have taken on some new local makers into the store, we are looking to work with some amazing people in the coming months and we are also excited about some new products that will be dropping as the season progresses.

But overall 2017 is going to be a year of motivation, moving forward and trying new things. We have set ourselves some goals and plugged in some time to really getting going with the creative ideas that have been buzzing around the studio.

These are my three top goals for 2017 -

Make and create more

Visit new places and discover new things

Enjoy life to the full

As each month goes on I will keep updating you guys with what is going on, plans, developments, products and new blog posts. But I also really want to know what you guys are up too, so do drop us a line and let us know if you have any exciting plans, ideas for the shop or for the blog. Products you would like to see, or ideas for collaborations.

We love hearing from the followers, readers and customers so do say hello!

It's here. The Brighton Festival line up has been announced for 2016, 50th year of the amazing Brighton Festival. Guest Curated by cultural figures throughout art, literature, dance and renowned for brilliant and exciting events through out the city.

This year the festival is curated by guest director Laurie Anderson, one of America's creative pioneers.

One of the most distinctive musical talents to come out of the UK in recent years, Laura Mvula is a one-woman symphony, whose classical training flourishes in songwriting that fuses orchestral soul with poetic lyricism.

In Blackouts: Twilight of the Idols ‘Drag fabulist’ Dickie Beau conjures the spirits of celebrated Hollywood icons, leading audiences on a bewitching adventure as he channels the ghosts of his childhood idols.

Luminary is a series of beautiful LED light-drawings at locations across the city by respected British artist Ron Haselden. They range in scale from the monumental, presented as a walk-through installation at Fabrica, to the intimate, shining out from homes in several of the city’s neighbourhoods.

Beth Orton returns to the UK for two shows at Brighton Festival premiering highly anticipated new material exploring her electronic roots. Orton has been one of the country’s most unique and beguiling voices in contemporary music for the past two decades. On her debut LP Trailer Park, Orton pioneered the synthesis of electronic beats and acoustic songwriting. 

Overnight, a strange portal emerges in Brighton: a mysterious form has burst through the ground and an opening is visible at the top. Slowly, displaced people begin to emerge. Where do they go now? How do we respond to them?

These are the HoQ top picks for Brighton Festival 2016. Brighton Fringe will also be happening at the same time and many wonderful free and paid events will be taking place across the city. We 100% recomend you get involved and check it out.

We will also be posting any updated, things we have seen, more recomendations and any exciting events that we thing you might like.

One of my main obsessions is ceramics, I cant get enough of beautifully made, new or old pottery. I prefer interesting stoneware and hand thrown over bone china, but as an art form it can be amazing.

Very envious of ceramicist and potters. I attended a small event last month, hosted by PopUp Brighton . Where I came across Libby Ballard's work.

A recent ceramics graduate from the University of Brighton. What I like about Libby's collections is the simplicity and feel of the work. The ceramics she makes are good solid and worthy items that are going to do the job, but also just bring a bit of life into everyday objects.

I purchased one of her rings bowls or small bowls to start off with, but I would quite like a whole set of beautiful mugs.

Libby's ceramics are going to stand the test of time. Classic colours and beautiful shapes, great additions to my collection.

Clothing and fashion, before the times of Primark and H&M, were items that lasted. Clothing was looked after, mended, passed down, recycled. Clothing was more integrated into peoples lives and was more than just a statement of personal taste, status or trend.

The value to clothing needs to be realised. Even in modern society, fast fashion is created by people striving to make a life for themselves. In some cases giving up their life just to make money to support another life. All because you want a cheap T-shirt.

That T-shirt has its own sentimental story, but the sentiment attached is a sad one.

We want to change that don't we?

The idea of sentiment is being explored by Emily Spivack, a writer and fashion historian. She is the creator of the Smithsonian fashion blog Threaded. A blog devoted to Sartorial content, fashion history and cultural effects of fashion.

Emily's recent project "Sentimental Value" is an archive of clothing that has been accumulated purely on its sentimental merit.

Emily's interest in the story's behind clothing sparked when she came across a very detailed tale behind a dress that someone was selling on Ebay. An item of clothing that came with its own history and account of where it was worn and what happened while wearing it, quite literally added to the description of the items listing.

The story in its self was more captivating than the actual garment. Emily delved deep into the world of ebay listings to uproot some of the most detailed, personal and emotional stories connected to an array of clothing. From evening wear to the running shoes. Mundane and every day items that suddenly had a completely different appeal to them.

Authentic Whitney Houston Handmade Snakeskin Dress, worn by Whitney

Own a piece of history with this authentic long-sleeve floor-length dress is of a casino online golden color with allover snakeskin print. High neck with zipper closure at back. No size or label present as it was custom tailored for Whitney. She had a 24″ waist 35″ Hips.

The collections and obsession with these stories began online, and Emily has put together the "Sentimental Value" online archive, that shows all the items she has come across on her exploration of the popular listings website.

Emily moved on from digitally archiving these finds, to wondering what the outcome would be if she started physically collecting these items. She now owns around 70 pieces sourced directly from Ebay and similar sites.

The Philadelphia Art Alliance worked with Emily in 2013 to put together an exhibition of the collection. showcasing each individual story and the connections that every garment had with its old owners, and the interactions it now has with its new owner and the public viewing it.

This cache of stockings was the first purchase Spivack made on the basis of its back-story.

a lot of vintage stockings, supposedly hidden in a barn where they had been used in pornographic films.

“I was looking for vintage high heels, and I came upon this vintage Playboy bunny outfit from the ’60s with the puff-ball tail and stockings, and these beautiful black high heels. They had all the costume elements, and also the woman’s original ID card and a photo of her wearing street clothes, just looking totally normal and completely anonymous. To find this costume that’s so loaded and also see this person who would put it on in the expressionless photo, all these things just clicked for me.”

Emily Spivcak for Collectors weekly

the collection of found objects is fascinating. Not only does it tell a million stories, it also demonstrates the power of sentiment and time. Longevity and practicality of clothing.

The exhibition had a catalogue that ran along side it and can be found here

Fashion is transient, moving and developing. We have been exploring the concepts of slow fashion and as House of Quinn is a brand built on the merits and ethos of collecting. We look to Raf Simons as inspiration in terms of the collections we surround ourselves with.

Today's focus on Raf's career is at the forefront of the industry and the popularity in Mr Simons has grown through the popularisation of his work through a new generation exploring his influence as seen on modern music icons.

As you know, Raf's career has been built on the merger between fashion and music. looking at how the youth cultures interacted with fashion, and how it fed back into the intrinsic way in which its listeners and followers created their own styles. Edited the styles they were given and created new uniforms.

But ultimately this whole Raf world was built from the inherent nature of the collector inside Raf. Coming from a furniture background, inspired by form and function, aesthetic and time. The whole Raf "movement" stems from a critical eye on personal taste.

Raf's personal collections are what I am truly interested in, the fashion that comes from the designer is what stems from merging his influences. Being surrounded by beautiful objects, that question space and also negative space is what he sees.

Raf's home in Antwerp is a shrine to the creative output you see on the catwalks. Art and collecting for Raf seem like a personal commodity, utilised in order to step away from fashion. To appreciate what is not fashion and what has not been created by himself.

At House of Quinn we are about collections, putting the influences of what we love into design and we are conscious of that story. Placing ourselves within spaces adorned with personal objects that mean something to us. As I mentioned before slow fashion should take on this theory, if we collect what we absolutely love, we put more energy into obtaining it, keep hold of it for longer and find ways of integrating it into our everyday. A way of escaping, and holding on to your personalities.

Raf's home is beautifully curated, filled with a wonderful selection of modern art, mid century design and furniture. The collection moves through the house, displaying objects in a way that brings them together but gives them the space they deserve.

Sterling Ruby Ceramics are dotted around the house, monoliths to the creative forces that Raf keeps around him and works with from time to time. His personal surroundings informing his creative relationships and vice versa.

Sterling Ruby ceramic sculptures

Sterling Ruby ceramic sculptures

I love Raf as a person, in interviews and in the recent documentary "Dior and I" he is a beautiful person, full of soul but with a humble and grounded approach to his life and design.

His emotional connection to objects is what I find truly inspiring when it comes to making connections to this designer. I think that looking at the things we have around us says so much about a person, and is in a way so much more interesting. I think one of Raf's biggest successes is that you want to know more about him. He is intriguing and adored, but I would love to watch more interviews and read more articles about the people behind the design, instead of the design itself.

A man after my own heart, Ken Stradling has been buyer, manager and director of the Bristol Guild of Applied Arts.

I love collecting beautiful objects, much to the worry of my friends at the burgeoning amount of things that come into the house. But much like Ken Stradling my obsession with collecting started as a personal passion.

Kens collection of 20th and 21st Century Items has turned into a relevant and important archive of applied arts and design.

Kens Collection is now housed at 48 Park Row, Bristol and is open to the public on a Wednesday. Nothing is behind a cabinet, you can interact with every piece like a shop, but with out the purchasing.

Recently one of my favourite publications, Inventory Magazine put together a wonderful interview with Ken, Margaret Howell sat down with him to discus the collection and how it came to be.